Law enforcement agencies across the country, and around the world, struggle to provide a sufficient number of officers in law enforcement vehicles to effectively enforce traffic regulations. With a seemingly endless network of roadways and only a limited number of officers and law enforcement vehicles, it simply isn't possible to have a manned law enforcement vehicle monitoring every stretch of road for motorists violating traffic regulations or warning motorists of safety hazards. Even if the number of police officers was not the issue, the capital outlay required to obtain and maintain a fleet of law enforcement vehicles large enough to patrol every road in a given jurisdiction would far exceed the budget of almost every law enforcement agency. Likewise, the expense associated with obtaining and maintaining a fleet of unmanned law enforcement vehicles for placement along roadways as a deterrent or warning to passing motorists is cost prohibitive.
It is commonly known that decoy law enforcement vehicle silhouettes, or cut outs, positioned alongside roadways or in other appropriate settings may be used to simulate the presence of actual law enforcement vehicles. However, the known decoy law enforcement vehicle silhouettes are typically only marginally realistic, are often difficult to transport and set up, and don't provide sufficient cover as a hiding place for an actual law enforcement vehicle. For instance, a traditional decoy law enforcement vehicle silhouette might consist of a plywood, or other solid surface, cut out mounted on a trailer and painted on one side to look like a law enforcement vehicle. The capability of such a traditional decoy law enforcement vehicle silhouette to deter passing motorists from violating traffic regulations is limited by its almost cartoon-like appearance, its unnatural positioning atop a trailer and the unrealistic one-sided appearance. Similarly, the functionality of such a traditional decoy law enforcement vehicle silhouette as a hiding place for an actual law enforcement vehicle might be reduced as a result of its solid surface construction, interfering with the law enforcement officer's ability to monitor passing motorists, and its placement atop a trailer providing imperfect cover. Such a traditional decoy law enforcement vehicle silhouette would also typically require the use of a specialized vehicle for delivery and recovery.
It is also commonly known that traditional decoy law enforcement vehicle silhouettes are only passive deterrents to the violation of traffic regulations. A decoy law enforcement vehicle silhouette may bear the logo and other distinctive markings of an actual law enforcement vehicle. Such marked decoy law enforcement vehicle silhouettes, however, are not capable of reacting to the passing motorist, of notifying passing motorists of dangerous conditions or of providing evidence of the violation of traffic regulations.
There are some decoy law enforcement vehicle silhouettes that have attempted to more accurately simulate the presence of an actual law enforcement vehicle. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,348,881 to Watkins discloses a reflective law enforcement vehicle decoy comprising an image of a law enforcement vehicle's reflective areas. The reflective areas include pursuit lights, headlights, decals, numbering area, spot light and license plate. The reflective areas are traced onto a suitable non-reflective surface and are separated into groups. The reflective areas are covered with reflective material in various patterns, consistent to colors associated with a particular law enforcement agency's marking and coloring schemes. The groups of reflective areas are attached to a suitable mounting platform for placement along a roadway to allow passing motorist headlights to illuminate the decoy, thereby creating the illusion of a law enforcement vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,365,640 to Garcia discloses a transportable police vehicle decoy having a life-like, life-size visual image of a police vehicle mounted onto a trailer for transportability. The image of the police vehicle is disposed on the trailer so that the wheels of the trailer appear to be the wheels of the police vehicle shown in the image. Operational emergency lights are positioned in the proper location on the image of the police vehicle and can be activated by speed detection devices when a speeding vehicle approaches. The speed detection devices are provided with communication means to alert police officers waiting to make traffic stops beyond the visual display. The visual display can be folded into one or more segments for transportation. Batteries are provided for electrical power and a solar panel is provided to recharge the batteries or provide direct power to the working components.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,936,550 to McCauley discloses a surveillance apparatus and method for the surveillance of traffic. The apparatus includes a housing for substantially completely enclosing and concealing a law enforcement vehicle therein. The housing includes an entrance door, an exit door, side walls, a ceiling and a floor. A one-way window extending around part or nearly all of the housing is provided such that a vehicle operator in a vehicle inside the housing may visually monitor traffic. The one-way window prevents vehicles in traffic from visually determining whether a vehicle is present in the apparatus. The apparatus is transportable in the manner of a trailer, such that it may be towed to a desired location. Entrance ramps and exit ramps are provided.
A decoy law enforcement vehicle silhouette is disclosed at the website http://russiawithlove.blogspot.com/2009/08/you-would-slow-for-brad-pitt-wooden-you.html. A two dimensional stylized depiction of a law enforcement vehicle, in perspective view, is disclosed. The two dimensional image is displayed between two pairs of opposing inclined supports. Another decoy law enforcement vehicle silhouette is disclosed at the website http://www.silhouettesrus.com/. A two dimensional stylized depiction of the front half of a law enforcement vehicle, in side view, is disclosed. The two dimensional image is printed on vinyl and affixed to a plywood backing. An image of the inventor's head is depicted in the front window of the decoy law enforcement vehicle silhouette.
Yet another decoy law enforcement vehicle silhouette is disclosed at the website http://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?104327-Putman-Ct.-cops-are-real-stiffs!. In a post dated Jul. 4, 2011 on the website, a two dimensional stylized depiction of a Polish law enforcement officer standing next to a Polish law enforcement vehicle, in side view, is disclosed. The two dimensional image is displayed on two vertical supports. On the same website, and on the website http://jalopnik.com/372114/bearded-genius-creates-tric+vic-to-slow-speeders, still another decoy law enforcement vehicle is disclosed. A two dimensional stylized depiction of a law enforcement vehicle, in rear view, is disclosed. The two dimensional image, dubbed the “Tric-Vic”, is constructed of expanded metal and reflectors arranged in such a way as to mimic the rear end of a Ford® Police Interceptor.
There exists a need to provide a decoy law enforcement vehicle silhouette that is realistic, easy to transport and set up, and that provides sufficient cover as a hiding place for an actual law enforcement vehicle while at the same time permitting the monitoring of passing traffic. There is also a need to provide a decoy law enforcement vehicle silhouette capable of reacting to the passing motorist, of notifying passing motorists of dangerous conditions and of providing evidence of the violation of traffic regulations. Furthermore, there is a need for an associated computer program product.